Most of the stadia in Ghana have weeds instead of pitches – Saanie Daara

Former Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Saanie Daara has expressed concern over the poor condition of football pitches in Ghana, which has sparked controversy.

He pointed out that many stadia in the country are overgrown with weeds rather than having proper pitches that meet international standards for high-profile matches.

As a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Saanie Daara highlighted that Ghana's stadia quality lags behind other African countries.

In an interview with Evans Mensah on Accra-based JoyNews, he criticised the significant investment in building stadia while neglecting their maintenance.

“We have the facilities and are spending millions of dollars on infrastructure. However, the crucial aspect of maintenance is being overlooked. Unfortunately, we have relied on local companies to provide what we call pitches.

"But honestly, from what I have seen while officiating matches in Ghana and comparing it to other places, I would say what we have in Ghana are just weeds instead of pitches,” he remarked.

This criticism follows CAF's decision to withdraw approval for the Baba Yara Stadium due to issues such as an uneven playing field, poor drainage, and insufficient grass cover.

This decision came after the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying match between Ghana and Angola on September 5, 2024.

In response, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has directed the Ghana Football Association to invite CAF officials to inspect the Accra Sports Stadium and the Legon Stadium to assess their suitability for hosting Black Stars games.

SB/MA